Marshwood prevails in game of inches

Sunday

Nov 11, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By JAY PINSONNAULTPortsmouth Herald

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — With a berth in the Class B state championship game within his team’s grasp, York High School football coach Randy Small believed in his offensive line and running back Sean Kelly enough to go for it on fourth-and-2 from midfield early in the fourth quarter.

The third-seeded Wildcats were clinging to a 14-13 lead over top-seeded Marshwood with just under 10 minutes left in regulation, and Small called a play for his bruising back, who had already scored on a 9-yard touchdown and finished the game with 122 yards on 22 carries.

Kelly was stopped just short of a first down, turning the ball over on downs.

“We wanted to keep the ball,” Small said. “We wanted to keep it out of their hands. They moved the ball all game long and our kids and our coaches believe we can get 2 yards in that situation. I think we came up about half a yard short. We get 1 more yard and it’s a whole different story. It’s just one of those things. It’s tough.”

After taking over on downs, Marshwood needed only seven plays to score the eventual game-winning touchdown as quarterback Cameron Roll (11 carries, 109 yards) scored from 12 yards out on a second-and-goal play.

If the same situation came up again, Small said he would make the same call.

“We thought we could get it,” Small said. “We had the ball and the lead in the fourth quarter and that’s what we wanted. We could’ve kicked it there, and then they drive the rest of the field in 8 minutes and we never get the ball back. Our kids screamed to go for it and I believe in them.”

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After Marshwood took a 21-14 lead, the Wildcats marched 66 yards on 11 plays as junior quarterback Ross Hogan snuck in over left guard for a 3-yard touchdown, cutting the Marshwood lead to 21-20 with 2:29 left.

Small said there was no thought of going for two points, feeling comfortable with his team’s chances in overtime.

The Wildcats sent in senior kicker Ben Lawlor for the PAT. He kicked it through the uprights, but the Wildcats were whistled for having only 10 players on the field as sophomore Zach Handley, a regular on the PATs, for some reason was on the sidelines.

“It was a child who got caught up in the moment, I guess,” Small said. “He’s a regular on that play and it’s never happened before. I don’t know what happened, he should’ve been out there. We never had a penalty on a PAT before.”

Lawlor then had a second chance for the PAT, but his second attempt grazed the right upright and fell to the ground.

Roll, Marshwood’s 5-foot-11, 175-pound quarterback, was a thorn in York’s side all day, rushing for 109 yards on 11 carries.

“He wasn’t doing anything that we didn’t know was coming,” Small said. “We worked on that play (quarterback keeper) at least 100 times. We couldn’t stop him. We need to go back and look at the film. We knew what was coming, we knew what the play was, but you have to give him credit. He got the yards.”

Roll figured in all three Marshwood scores, running for touchdowns of 21 and 12 yards and connecting with junior wide receiver Noah Kreider on a 29-yard touchdown pass, cutting the York lead to 14-13 with 1:49 left in the third.

Roll called his own number on five occasions on third down, and picked up a first down on four times.

“He simply made the plays when he needed to,” Small said.

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The first time all day Marshwood got punched in the face was on the opening possession of the second half, when York put together its best drive, a 12-play, 70-yard march that gave it its first lead, 14-7.

Kelly, kept in check in the first half, carried the ball nine times on the drive, for gains of 4, 5, 7, 7, 13, 15, 0, 7 and 5 yards, his last one going for the score.

For the Hawks, who’d surrendered just 123 yards in the first half, it was a wake-up call. They made some adjustments with their defensive ends after that and gave up just one first down on the Wildcats’ next two series.

“We had the answers to stop them; we just needed to be more physical,” said Marshwood sophomore linebacker Brett Gerry. “Just make tackles and wrap up. (Kelly’s) a hard runner, a great running back.”

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Members of the Eastern Maine champion Mt. Blue coaching staff were in attendance at Marshwood, getting an early look at their opponent in next Saturday’s Class B championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. Top-seeded Mt. Blue (11-0) advanced with a 42-14 win over No. 6 Waterville on Friday.

The Maine Principals’ Association has not set times for the three state championship games next Saturday. Factors that will be considered include the distance each program will need to travel. Marshwood athletic director Rich Buzzell said he expects the times to be announced by Tuesday morning.